India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [207]
1/508, Fortkochi Hospital Rd., Fort Kochi 682 001. 0484/221-5481 or 97-4536-5260. www.noahsarkcochin.com or www.noahsarkhomestay.com. 6 units, all with shower only. Oct–Mar Rs 1,500 standard double, Rs 2,000 deluxe double, Rs 2,500 deluxe double with balcony; Apr–Sept Rs 1,200 standard double, Rs 1,800–Rs 2,000 deluxe double. Rates include breakfast. No credit cards. Amenities: Dining room; airport transfers (Rs 750–Rs 850), Wi-Fi (free). In room: A/C (in some).
Willingdon Island
Besides the two very smart options here, there’s also one very well run, good-value option in the form of old-fashioned Casino Hotel ( 0484/266-8211 or 0484/301-1568; www.cghearth.com), the eponymous headquarters of high-end eco-conscious chain, CGH Earth. Like the Trident (reviewed below), it’s a little far from the historic sights and without any sort of view (watery or otherwise), but it offers all the comforts and amenities you’ll need (including a superb seafood restaurant, Fort Cochin, reviewed), and service is just lovely. High-season rates start at 115€ double (breakfast and taxes included).
Taj Malabar It may have hit the list of 100 Best Hotels in Asia, according to Travel + Leisure in 2007, but this stalwart of Kochi’s luxury hotel scene really seems to be treading water these days. Willingdon’s only waterfront hotel, it’s certainly an elegant property, but feels increasingly geared towards business travelers. After the decadent public areas and superb water’s edge location, though, rooms are a real drawback. They’re divided between those in the slightly more generously proportioned one-floor Heritage Wing (where, compared with the boutique hotels in Fort Kochi, there’s not much character these days), and the more compact rooms in the Tower Wing (think ship’s cabin), a modern construction with a smart look, but cubbyhole bathrooms. The only real reason to choose a room here would be to admire the sunset from one of the corner Tower rooms (710 is our pick), but personally we’d rather be enjoying a cruise, cocktail in hand, or watching the scene from the edge of the gorgeous infinity pool.
Willingdon Island, Cochin 682 009. 0484/266-6811 or -8010. Fax 0484/266-8297. www.tajhotels.com. malabar.cochin@tajhotels.com. 96 units. Rs 14,300 superior double; Rs 15,400 superior sea-view double; Rs 16,500 deluxe sunset-view double; Rs 18,700 heritage wing sea-view double; Rs 22,000–Rs 24,200 suite. Rates exclude 15% tax. Up to 50% discount in low season; rate of the day applicable throughout the year. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 4 restaurants, lounge, bar; airport transfers (Rs 1,848–Rs 2,317); Ayurvedic spa; babysitting; boat cruises and yacht hire; health club; large outdoor pool with Jacuzzi; room service. In room: A/C, TV/DVD, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (Rs 160/1⁄2hr.; Rs 751/day).
Trident Cochin This dignified business hotel is quiet, tasteful, and replete with modern conveniences plus Kochi’s most polished service. Accommodations surround a pleasant courtyard where you can swim in the pool and dine alfresco. An effort has been made to personalize the public spaces with traditional artifacts and ornaments, and the entrance is dominated by a giant uruli cooking pot mounted on old black-and-gold snake-boat prows. Rooms are sleek with lots of blond timber and elegantly compact bathrooms. These are also probably the quietest bedrooms in Kochi—double glazed for the convenience of airline crews that bed down here. All in all, it’s a very slick, professional place, and were it not for its location (neither in the heritage area nor on the waterfront), it would be a top pick. But then the rates—which offer much better value compared to the nearby Taj—would not be so enticing.
Bristow Rd., Willingdon Island, Kochi 682 003, Kerala.